Landry Park by: Bethany Hagen

Publication: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Dial
Pages: 384

Downton Abbey meets The Selection in this dystopian tale of love and betrayal

In a fragmented future United States ruled by the lavish gentry, seventeen-year-old Madeline Landry dreams of going to the university. Unfortunately, gentry decorum and her domineering father won't allow that. Madeline must marry, like a good Landry woman, and run the family estate. But her world is turned upside down when she discovers the devastating consequences her lifestyle is having on those less fortunate. As Madeline begins to question everything she has ever learned, she finds herself increasingly drawn to handsome, beguiling David Dana. Soon, rumors of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself and David at the center of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty - her family and the estate she loves dearly - and desire.

My Thoughts:

Downton Abbey meets The Selection? that's a bit of a stretch since there is no prince a bunch of girls are trying to get. There is a dysopian Downton Abbey feel since they have brought back all the pomp and circumstance that the time of the 18th, 19th, 20th centuries had with balls, debutantes, money, a place of higher society, manners, dancing, which is always fun and I LOVE the idea of bringing most of all that back.

I like Avery most of the time, however lets be real Avery is a very realistic person, she struggles, she feels and eventually has to make some hard decisions that as us we probably would have just as  much of a hard time making.

Enter David Dana the most eligible bachelor and he knows it. David loves his place in society, loves the pomp loves the nice clothes, flirting, the wine and dancing. But David holds a secret that could be deadly. I liked David a lot, I loved his character and he made me chuckle a few times.

However with the upper class of society there is also the poor and squaller. These people are getting restless and do all the dirty work for the rich. As Avery becomes more aware of her surroundings and the unrest she starts paying more attention to the poor and what their lives cost.

Overall I think this was a great story, I had a lot of fun reading it, it was however typical and there were no real surprised, plus I felt it dragged on a bit towards the end.

Sexual Content: moderate (some kissing, talk of rape-mild)
Language: mild
Violence: moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: mild (social drinking)